Unit 6 - Expressions and Number Properties
Lesson 1 - Exponents
Learning Goals for this Lesson:
Students Will Know:
Understand how to write and evaluate
numerical expressions involving wholenumber exponents.
Standards: MAFS.6.EE.1.1, LAFS.6.SL.1.2,
MAFS.K12.MP.4.1, MAFS.K12.MP.6.1
Students Will Be Able To:







Identify the exponent and base of a
power.
Write a power as product of the same
factor (base).
Find the value of a power.
Write an expression using whole-number
exponents.
Describe a power that represents a perfect
square.
Describe the pattern in using powers of
ten.
Understand that exponential form is a
short way to write repeated multiplication
of a common factor.
Lesson Essential Question:
How do you use exponents to represent numbers?
Activating Strategy:
Play BrainPop Video on "Exponents" and have students take the BrainPop Quiz as a class (repeat at
the end of the lesson to beat original score)
Play a couple of quick rounds of 'Math Splat" on the overhead have students compete in teams.
Alternate Opener Activity: Think and Discuss Questions: What are some examples of situations in
which you need to use repeated addition of whole numbers to solve a problem? What are some
examples of situations in which you need to use repeated addition of fractions to solve a problem?
Key Vocabulary to Preview and Vocabulary Strategy:
power, base, exponent, perfect square
Lesson Instruction:
Learning Activity 1:
Begin lesson by having student partners complete the Inquiry lab
on McGraw-Hill Textbook pages 429-432. Review the answers as
a class. Have students begin Cornell Notes on Exponents. Have
students Think-Pair –Share the Vocabulary Start-Up section for
this lesson on Textbook page 433. Then have students record the
Graphic Organizers:


Cornell notes
K-W-L (Know- Want to
know-Learned) Graphic
Organizer to explore
student’s prior knowledge
of the concept of
vocabulary words into their Cornell Notes. Continue Cornell Notes
on Exponents. Use Example 2 (Common Core OnCore
Mathematics Student Workbook page 60). Have students take
notes on how to use exponents to write an expression.
Assessment Prompt for LA 1:

exponents.
Frayer Model Graphic
Organizer for Vocabulary:
Have students complete
a frayer model graphic
organizer for each
vocabulary word.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:
Have students complete the "Try This" questions on page 60 of
Common Core OnCore Mathematics Student Workbook on the
processing page of their Cornell Notes. Have student pairs check
each other’s work. Allow time for student pairs to discuss any
questions they have about their partner’s answers and time for
partners to justify their answers or revise as needed. Review the
answer together, with students presenting their work to the class.
Ask any students willing to describe a mistake they made and how
they fixed it. Note: In order to provide a safe place to share say,
“If you made a mistake, it is likely someone else made the same
mistake and needs your explanation in order to know how to fix
it…”
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:
Have students complete a Quick Write on the Processing Page of
their Cornell Notes defining the related vocabulary and describing
how to find the value of a power. Have students share their Quick
Write with their partner and revise if necessary. Have several
students present their writing to the class (LFS think-pair-share).
Common Core OnCore Mathematics Teachers Addition: Think and
Discuss Questions: (Use as Ticket out the Door): What does an
exponent represent?
Differentiation:
Ability Levels: Paired Groupings (stronger/slightly weaker students)
Learning Styles: visual, auditory, interpersonal, intrapersonal, kinetic
Varied Interest: Students will be allowed to choose 2 of the new vocabulary
words to create a Frayer Model.
(Beyond Level) Create Your Own Homework Online - eSolutionsManual™ can
be used to create worksheets for the suggested assignments above, or to
create your own worksheets for differentiated homework or review.
(All Levels) For Additional Differentiation for this section, please see online
Florida Math Textbook Resources under the Plan and Present tab: “Additional
Activities for Differentiated Instruction”
*** See the document at the end of the unit for more information.
Learning Activity 2:
Assignment:
Have students continue Cornell Notes on Exponents, reminding
students to "chunk" their notes as each new example is
Culminating Activities:
introduced. Have students take teacher directed Cornell Notes in
their Interactive Math Journals. Use Example 3 (Common Core
OnCore Mathematics Student Workbook page 60). This example
demonstrates how to find the value of each power.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:
Have students complete the "Try This" questions on page 61 of
Common Core OnCore Mathematics Student Workbook on the
processing page of their Cornell notes. Have student pairs check
each other’s work. Allow time for student pairs to discuss any
questions they have about their partner’s answers and time for
partners to justify their answers or revise as needed. Review the
answer together, with students presenting their work to the class.
Ask any students willing to describe a mistake they made and how
they fixed it. Note: In order to provide a safe place to share say,
“If you made a mistake, it is likely someone else made the same
mistake and needs your explanation in order to know how to fix
As a class review Example 4 (Common Core OnCore
Mathematics Student Workbook page 61). This example illustrates
how to solve a real world problem using exponents. Have student
Think-Pair-Share to answers the to this story problem. Remind
students to look for the pattern in the illustration.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:
Have students complete the "Try This" question #4 on page 61 of
Common Core OnCore Mathematics Student Workbook on the
processing page of their Cornell Notes. Have student pairs check
each other’s work. Allow time for student pairs to discuss any
questions they have about their partner’s answers and time for
partners to justify their answers or revise as needed. Review the
answer together, with students presenting their work to the class.
Ask any students willing to describe a mistake they made and how
they fixed it. Note: In order to provide a safe place to share say, “If
you made a mistake, it is likely someone else made the same
mistake and needs your explanation in order to know how to fix
it…”
Have students revisit their Cornell Notes, Underlining or circling
vocabulary terms or important facts with a different colored pencil
and make definitions stand out by highlighting them. Students may
highlight or underline other important information. Have students
compare notes with a partner and make any corrections or
additions to their notes that are needed.
Have students revisit their Cornell Notes and write down questions
in the left hand column beside each example or vocabulary term
that will help them remember the material, or create questions of
confusion that they have about the information in their notes. Have
students create higher level questions that are not answered in the
Constructing Support: (Common
Core OnCore Mathematics
Activity Generator): Students are
given a data table to analyze
and posed the scenario: Maria
won the grand prize on a game
show. She will be given $2 the
first month, $4 the second
month, $8 the third month, and
so on as her payment is doubled
each month for one year.
Students are to complete the
table and answer the following
questions: How much will Maria
receive in the fifth month? How
much will Maria receive in the
eighth month? Use a calculator
to determine how much Maria
will receive in the last month of
the year. Have students
describe the pattern in the table
and explain how the values in
the table compare with the
values 2, 22, 23, 24, and so on.
Unit culminating activity see Resources
on icpalms map or Unit Plan for rubric
and assignment
notes, like "Why did...?" or "Predict what would happen if...?",
these can deepen the learning of the material.
Have students revisit their Cornell Notes and create possible test
questions. Share these student created test questions with the
class describing how the problem may be solved, but without
giving the answer. Use at least one to two student created test
question on the next mini-assessment or summative quiz.
Assessment Prompt for LA 2:
Have students complete the "Try This" activity on page 59 of
Common Core OnCore Mathematics Students Workbook.
Students are asked to circle the exponent and box the base of
each example.
Have student complete the Exponent Worksheet from the
Common Core Oncore Mathematics student workbook page 62.
Then have students complete an Error Analysis: Have students
silently (no talking with partner at this time) compare answers on
their completed Exponent Practice Worksheet with their partners
answers. Students are to only put a mark by the answers that
they have different from their partners. Next, students are allowed
to discuss with their partners the problems where they had
different answers. Students are to justify their answer by
reworking the problem for their partners. Partners are to describe
where they or their partner made an error and then correct the
problem together.
Closure (Ticket Out the Door): Common Core OnCore
Mathematics Teachers Addition: Think and Discuss Questions:
How do you find the value of a power?
Differentiation:
Ability Levels: Paired Groupings (stronger/slightly weaker students)
Learning Styles: visual, auditory, interpersonal, intrapersonal, kinetic
Varied Interest: Students will be allowed to choose 2 of the new vocabulary
words to create a Frayer Model.
(Beyond Level) Create Your Own Homework Online - eSolutionsManual™ can
be used to create worksheets for the suggested assignments above, or to
create your own worksheets for differentiated homework or review.
(All Levels) For Additional Differentiation for this section, please see online
Florida Math Textbook Resources under the Plan and Present tab: “Additional
Activities for Differentiated Instruction”
*** See the document at the end of the unit for more information.
Learning Activity 3: (HOTS)
Critical Thinking: Brain Game (Common Core OnCore
Mathematics Activity Generator): Have student play a matching
card game using exponents and expressions. Print cards for
students to match (available in Activity Generator). For example:
74=_____________=2401 or 2 6 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2
=________ or ________=3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 243 or 5 cubed =
____×____×____ = _______
Critical Thinking: (Common Core OnCore Mathematics Teacher's
Edition): Validate Conclusions When Simplifying an Expression.
Review Order of Operations with students and the have them
complete the following activity: Shown the steps in evaluating a
numerical expression, students must choose a reason from the list
on the right to justify each step in simplifying the expression. Next
have students simplify each given expression and justify each step
using the order of operations. For example: (4 × 2) ÷ 22 + 7 = 8 ÷
22+ 7 (Perform operations within parentheses); 8 ÷ 4 + 7 (Find the
value of numbers with exponents); 2 + 7 (Divide); 9 (Add)
Assessment Prompt for LA 3:
(HOTS) Reasoning: Given the product students are asked to find
either the missing base or the missing exponent. Have students
explain the reasoning for their answer.
(HOTS) Reasoning: Students are posed the question: What is the
value of all powers of 1? Have students explain their reasoning.
(HOTS) Common Core OnCore Mathematics Teachers Addition:
Think and Discuss Questions: (Use as Ticket out the Door): What
do you think it means to have an exponent of 1?
For Additionally practice have students complete various exercises
from student McGraw-Hill Textbook pages 436-440.
Differentiation:
Ability Levels: Paired Groupings (stronger/slightly weaker students)
Learning Styles: visual, auditory, interpersonal, intrapersonal, kinetic
Varied Interest: Students will be allowed to choose 2 of the new vocabulary
words to create a Frayer Model.
(Beyond Level) Create Your Own Homework Online - eSolutionsManual™ can
be used to create worksheets for the suggested assignments above, or to
create your own worksheets for differentiated homework or review.
(All Levels) For Additional Differentiation for this section, please see online
Florida Math Textbook Resources under the Plan and Present tab: “Additional
Activities for Differentiated Instruction”
*** See the document at the end of the unit for more information.
Summarizing Strategy:
Have student take the BrainPop quiz on Exponents:
https://www.brainpop.com/math/
Using the Write Path I Mathematics AVID strategy of "Sentence Frames" as a class create a sentence
using several of the vocabulary words posted on the classroom Student Learning Map. The sentence
is stated and then the students repeat it over and over in a chant. Next, allow individual students to
make up a another way to rephrase the sentence using the same vocabulary words; if the class
agrees the sentence is a correct usage of the vocabulary words they signal with a thumbs up and
repeat the sentence or a thumbs down and help to rephrase the sentence correctly and repeat.
Example: "7 to the power of 3 means the product of three 7's".
Have student complete the Summary Section of their Cornell Notes answering the LEQ: How do you
use exponents to represent numbers?
Student
Modification/Accommodations
1. Seat student near teacher.
2. Stand near student when giving
directions/presenting.
3. Provide visual aids/graphic organizers.
4. Ensure oral directions are understood.
5. Allow extra time to complete tasks.
6. Simplify complex written directions.
7. Give test items orally.
8. Provide peer assistance/study groups.